When I first saw A Night at the Museum at the movies, I didn't know whether I really liked it or not. In fact, my reaction to it was so mixed that it confounded me. Now that I have managed to formulate an opinion, I can proceed with writing this review. That being said, my expectations for A Night at the Museum were hardly great. Indeed, my friend and I only saw it because we had, much to our chagrin, arrived too early to see the critically-acclaimed Borat or Casino Royale. We decided to see it because of the presence of the usually steady Ben Stiller. Despite his star billing, I expected A Night at the Museum to be standard family fare; not bad, just predictable and formulaic. My expectations were fulfilled. There were bad scenes, mostly involving Stiller and his son, which introduced overpowering, cringe-inducing sentiment. The plot is also uninspired, revolving around a stereotypical loser with a downtrodden son and marital difficulties. (wait on - is this a reprise of the appalling Jingle All The Way?) The saddest part is that my friend and I managed to telegraph key areas of the plot and also many of the various subplots. The rap music which was dubbed over the credits was also out of place with the rest of the movie. Not only can I see the presence of the rap music potentially turning off parents from seeing the movie, but the rap-c*** also left a bad taste in my mouth.
The acting is a mixed bag; certainly not the worst I've seen in a family-oriented movie, but hardly consistent. For instance, while Ben Stiller is his usual steady self, he manages to deliver few funny lines due to various limitations in the script. He is also forced to engage in some slapstick, which contradicts his usually wry, understated sense of humour as seen on Meet the Parents - the monkey scene is not only predictable, but it is probably the worst scene in the movie. The son (Jake Cherry) does not have to do a great deal other than mug for the camera. Mickey Rooney is saddled with the most poorly-written character in the film, resulting in him spitting out a plethora of lame buzzwords (Butterscotch?!). However, Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan, as the cowboy and Roman general respectively, inject some life into the proceedings, being responsible for most of the amusing parts (for example, their individual stoushes). Robin Williams, for once, decides not to revert to slapstick, attempting to play his character in a more understated fashion. And you know what? He isn't annoying! In fact, I didn't realise it was him until later. Dick van Dyke, while not particularly funny, uses his oft-likable personality to hold the movie together. Ricky Geravis also plays the stereotypical pedantic, whimsical boss to perfection.
It became evident to me that A Night at the Museum is very much a movie of moments. Fortunately, these moments usually came at just the right time, just when my interest in the film was flagging and my eyes were being diverted towards my watch. For instance, I couldn't help but laugh at the Sacajawea tracking scene. I have already discussed the stoushes between the cowboy and the Roman general, so I will discuss the most interesting part of the movie - the only part of the plot which displays any real innovation. It was always going to be interesting watching how Stiller would go about overcoming his problems in the museum and he came up with some entertaining and left-field solutions for doing so! For instance, there was the fire extinguisher which he used on the cavemen - alongside others. I've also seen less amusing endings to family movies - as silly as the disco scene was.
Ultimately, I find A Night at the Museum slightly difficult to rate. It is certainly a passable movie with its fair share of well-timed and enjoyable moments, however, this is offset by the overbearing sentiment, the predictability of the plot and to a lesser extent, the credits and the less desirable acting performances in the film. All things considered, this is far less banal and money-grubbing than the more insipid family fare, such as Scooby-Doo or Garfield. This is saying nothing, though.
I guess I will have to tie my review up with a rating, so I will give A Night at the Museum 2.5/5 stars (perhaps a little higher for those in the target genre)
The acting is a mixed bag; certainly not the worst I've seen in a family-oriented movie, but hardly consistent. For instance, while Ben Stiller is his usual steady self, he manages to deliver few funny lines due to various limitations in the script. He is also forced to engage in some slapstick, which contradicts his usually wry, understated sense of humour as seen on Meet the Parents - the monkey scene is not only predictable, but it is probably the worst scene in the movie. The son (Jake Cherry) does not have to do a great deal other than mug for the camera. Mickey Rooney is saddled with the most poorly-written character in the film, resulting in him spitting out a plethora of lame buzzwords (Butterscotch?!). However, Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan, as the cowboy and Roman general respectively, inject some life into the proceedings, being responsible for most of the amusing parts (for example, their individual stoushes). Robin Williams, for once, decides not to revert to slapstick, attempting to play his character in a more understated fashion. And you know what? He isn't annoying! In fact, I didn't realise it was him until later. Dick van Dyke, while not particularly funny, uses his oft-likable personality to hold the movie together. Ricky Geravis also plays the stereotypical pedantic, whimsical boss to perfection.
It became evident to me that A Night at the Museum is very much a movie of moments. Fortunately, these moments usually came at just the right time, just when my interest in the film was flagging and my eyes were being diverted towards my watch. For instance, I couldn't help but laugh at the Sacajawea tracking scene. I have already discussed the stoushes between the cowboy and the Roman general, so I will discuss the most interesting part of the movie - the only part of the plot which displays any real innovation. It was always going to be interesting watching how Stiller would go about overcoming his problems in the museum and he came up with some entertaining and left-field solutions for doing so! For instance, there was the fire extinguisher which he used on the cavemen - alongside others. I've also seen less amusing endings to family movies - as silly as the disco scene was.
Ultimately, I find A Night at the Museum slightly difficult to rate. It is certainly a passable movie with its fair share of well-timed and enjoyable moments, however, this is offset by the overbearing sentiment, the predictability of the plot and to a lesser extent, the credits and the less desirable acting performances in the film. All things considered, this is far less banal and money-grubbing than the more insipid family fare, such as Scooby-Doo or Garfield. This is saying nothing, though.
I guess I will have to tie my review up with a rating, so I will give A Night at the Museum 2.5/5 stars (perhaps a little higher for those in the target genre)